


The Burden of Responsibility

by FictionalKnight (Northern_Star)



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Exhaustion, F/M, Ficlet, Responsibility
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-22
Updated: 2009-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-04 15:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3073703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_Star/pseuds/FictionalKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dick? What are you doing?" Barbara asks, rubbing her eyes. Her voice is thick with sleep.</p>
<p>"It's six, Babs, what do you think I'm doing?" Dick answers and then he yawns loudly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Burden of Responsibility

Dick enters the apartment through the open bedroom window. He could have used the door, but this was more convenient. He closes the window a little, then walks toward the bed, shedding his clothes and letting them drop to the floor haphazardly.

Carefully, he crawls into bed, trying to avoid waking Barbara who's sleeping peacefully. He gently presses a small kiss to her forehead before letting his head drop on the pillow. She stirs just a little and, though she doesn't really wake up at all, she drapes her arm over his chest and lets out a small sigh.

Smiling, Dick closes his eyes and gives in to exhaustion.

Later, as the alarm clock suddenly goes off, Dick bolts upright in bed. Half awake, mostly confused, his heart beating right out of his chest. He hits the clock with his fist to shut it off, grumbling something about needing to remember to lower the volume on the damned thing.

He stumbles out of bed and reaches to grab the towel that's hanging on the back of a chair, before heading to the bathroom.

"Dick? What are you doing?" Barbara asks, rubbing her eyes. Her voice is thick with sleep.

"It's six, Babs, what do you think I'm doing?" Dick answers and then he yawns loudly.

"Dick, you haven't slept more than half an hour," she says, trying to sound neither annoyed nor reproachful. "You can't go on like this forever. You're not Superman..." In a whisper, and before she can think the better of it, she adds, "Or Batman, for that matter."

He turns, shoulders slumped, and Barbara is just about horrified to see how tired and defeated he looks.

"I have to be," he tells her, shaking his head miserably. "I have to be, Babs. There's no other way."

=> End.


End file.
